La Push Life
by Fueled By Dr. Pepper
Summary: All little Sarah Black wants is to meet Quileute kids her age. So Leah takes her daughter to play on the school grounds of the reservation's school. Past meets present and they run head on into future. Life in La Push is never normal. 1480 words, one-shot


It was a cool autumn day when Sarah begged to go to the playground of the La Push reservation school. She, like her cousin before her, was attending school in Forks and really just wanted to see what she was missing. It was a Saturday, meaning the campus was an open, free childcare alternative for parents with energetic children.

She was dancing circles around Leah as they strolled toward the campus. She sang nonsense songs about everything she saw along the way and began to giggle more to reflect her growing excitement while they got closer to their destination.

Leah laughed when her daughter bolted towards the swing set, leaving her in the dust. Sarah waited quite impatiently for her mother to walk over and begin pushing her.

"Mommy, you're so slow," Sarah moaned, emphasizing the last word.

"You could have pushed yourself, you're a big girl now."

Sarah scoffed, "It's not as fun that way."

Within a few minutes, Sarah had astutely surveyed the school playground and decided to move on from the swings. Her pushing skills no longer needed, Leah walked toward a nearby bench to keep an eye out on Sarah.

"Welcome to the club."

Leah tore her eyes from her daughter to look at the person addressing her. She recognized the woman, Julie, a classmate from high school. She chose not to respond but smiled through her confusion.

"The mother's club. It's kind of known, if you don't leave the reservation, you're destined for the mother's club. Over half the girls from our year have kids that go here, too. I thought you might have been one of the few when I didn't see you dropping any off."

Leah shrugged, "I don't mind it. Sarah there," she pointed out the girl out running most of the boys her age, "was planned. I'm glad I'm in the club."

Julie nodded, "Not all of us are drowning in the responsibility. It's just . . . inevitable."

Leah laughed, "So, which one is yours?"

Julie nodded towards a little girl playing with a younger boy in the sandbox.

"Beth and her brother Luke."

Leah raised her eyebrows, "Both are yours?"

Julie chuckled, "Yup. Remember Isaac, from physics with Mueller? One day, not long after graduation, we're both at some bonfire on the beach and he just up and asks me out. Apparently had a thing for me all four years and here we are now."

Leah grinned, "Oh really? That's so cute."

Julie looked with pride at her children before looking back at Leah, "What's the story between you and Sarah's father? You don't have a ring on. I know you and Sam had a thing but she's a little young –"

"Jacob Black is her father," Leah cut her off, "We got together a while after Bella Swan became Bella Cullen and, well, we just skipped the wedding and went straight for the kid."

Julie was stunned. Leah laughed.

"We're happy. Exactly as we are. We might even try for another soon."

Julie shrugged, "You've got plenty of time, you're young."

Leah's eyes, out of instinct, scanned the playground before stopping where Sarah was keeping up with some of the older kids in their fast-paced games.

"It's not an age issue as much as it is me specifically. But even if it's just Sarah for us, I'll be happy with that."

Julie and Leah began discussing the ins and outs of being parents. Leah talked about Sarah's constant struggle to be like her older cousin Mattie, Julie talked about how it was having two kids in the house and gave Leah tips on what it would be like the second time around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then Leah saw it.

Sarah and a boy her age were facing each other on top of the jungle gym, unmoving. Leah prayed they were just having a staring contest but the look on their faces was too familiar. Next thing she knows, Sarah has leaned over and kissed the boy, a peck really, but his friends nearby saw it happen. As far as Leah can tell, the boys are teasing them and the little boy is using his words to defend them both. When Sarah starts balling her hands into fists, Leah gets up and starts walking over. When the boy and one particularly loud little boy start shoving each other, she almost runs. By then, the other parents are walking over and Sarah is trying to put herself in front of her boy.

"You're so weird!" the obnoxious boy shouts at Sarah.

Sarah's boy is being pulled off the jungle gym by his father, "She is not! You shut up!"

Sarah climbs down and closes in on the man and his son. Leah rushes to her and grabs her by the shoulders.

"I'm so sorry. You know how kids are. Rodney, get down here now," an embarrassed mother apologizes for her son's teasing.

Leah and the man nod, apologizing themselves for their own children's mistakes while Sarah and the boy keep their gazes firmly on each other. Rodney and his mother walk off, leaving the other two parents to handle their star-crossed lovers.

"Dad, let me go," the little boy struggles in his father's grip.

The man puts his son down and turns to apologize again, "I'm sorry about Kyle, he's not like this – Lee."

Leah recognizes another face, "Greg. It's been awhile."

He laughs, "No kidding. Kids, huh?"

On cue, Kyle grabs Sarah's hand and they run to another section of the playground.

Leah sighs, "Yeah. Kids."

Greg frowns, "You okay? She wasn't hurt or anything. At least, it doesn't seem like it."

"It's not Sarah I'm worried about," she lied, "her father's gonna blow a gasket when he finds out."

He laughed, "A schoolyard kiss is hardly anything serious. He'll see that."

Leah nodded, even with the knowledge that Kyle and Sarah's little kiss was that serious, and agreed, "Yeah, I know."

"If I may ask, who is her father?"

Leah smiled, "Jacob Black. We've been together since, well, half a year before Sarah came along. What about Kyle's mother? Is she from the rez?"

Greg nodded; a solemn look crossed his face, "Lizzy Burke. Remember her? We lost her to alcoholism late last year."

Leah cringed, she internally beat herself for not keeping up with rez life more, "I'm so sorry, Greg."

He nodded again, "I tell him it wasn't his fault, that his mother just made bad choices but he still asks how she could choose something that hurt her and took her away from us. I still don't know how to answer that one."

Leah nodded, "It's a hard thing for you to have to go through, much less him."

Greg nodded and, in a similar way to what she did earlier, his eyes searched and found the pair of children on the swings, holding hands as they swung together.

"This is one of the few times he's looked really happy playing with other kids. He usually just gets lost in the group, acting for my benefit."

Leah didn't speak, for fear of crying, just silently agreeing. After taking a minute to collect herself, Leah talked, "You know, I'll bet she'll wanna come back everyday now. It'd be a good way for both of them to play nice. At least, until they get sick of each other."

Greg laughed, "You keep bringing her over. We'll be here."

Leah smiled and waved good-bye as she started towards her daughter. It took a good 5 minutes but after repeated promises that she'd see him soon, Sarah walked away from Kyle with her mother.

Dancing again and happy, though for a different reason, Sarah began a line of questions.

"Was he –?"

"Yes."

"Do I –?"

"Not yet."

"Does this mean I go to the La Push School now?"

"That depends, sweetie. Do you want to?"

Sarah pondered in deep thought for a moment before curtly nodding, "Yes. Kyle needs to see me everyday. Do I start tomorrow?"

Leah laughed, "Tomorrow's Sunday, Sarah. School isn't until Monday. And then, we'll have to go by the office and get you in there officially."

Sarah stopped exactly where she was.

"He needs me, Mommy. That's what an imprint is, right? Being whatever they need?"

Leah sighed, "Yes honey. But he also doesn't need you in trouble. I'll tell you what. You and I will tell Daddy exactly what happened today and tomorrow, he will bring you back here in case Kyle is here too, okay? And Monday, after school, you'll see him then."

Sarah agreed and sped off toward her home. Leah looked back at the campus once more before breaking out into a jog to catch up to her daughter.

No matter how hard she tried, she could never fight how life in La Push really is.


End file.
